Cork Golf Club was a hive of activity over the weekend. With three pennants up for grabs, Monkstown, Cork and Fermoy went in search of glory. With the course in Little Island in great shape, there was some great golf on display. The Island was playing hard and fast, and the recent dry weather led a links like feel to the course. There were wins for Cork and Monkstown but it was a step too far for Fermoy as they lost out in their semi-final with Tralee.
Monkstown receive the Pennant for winning the Munster Golf AIG Senior Cup at Cork Golf Club. Picture: Thos Caffrey / http://www.golffile.ie
Monkstown won Munster AIG Senior Cup title for the first time on over half a century, beating Castletroy in an exciting Munster final. 12 months ago Sean Desmond won a dramatic match on the 20th green in Dungarvan to take Monkstown to a Senior Cup Munster Final. Limerick beat them that day in the final, but Sean Desmond was again the hero, this time claiming the winning point on the 18th. Desmond needed a point after Martin Poucher and Eoghan Long won their matches. Andrew McCormack and Mark Campbell won for Castletroy so that left it all resting on Desmond’s match. The 18 year old needed a half on the 18th to win the match and it looked doubtful when his second found the trees on the 18th. Desmond played a great recovery shot that saw his ball pitch short of the green and run on to 15 feet. Desmond calmly rolled the ball to less than a foot and that was enough to win the match and the crucial winning point for Monkstown.
It’s been 30 years since anyone has managed to win back to back titles, and today John Murphy waited until the 19th hole to grasp back the trophy that he proudly won last year.
Holder John Murphy will face last year’s semi-finalist Sean Desmond in an all Cork semi-final at the Kerry Boys in Ballybunion. The Kinsale and Monkstown golfers extended their stay in Ballybunion as they both won two rounds of matchplay golf today on the Cashen course. Brian O’Connell and Eric Rumley lost out in this morning’s first round while Mark Healy got through the the quarter final. Healy lost out this afternoon after a close match with Nenagh’s Scott O’Brien. O’Brien will face home place Ronan Cross in the other semi-final. There was little joy for Cork golfer in the plate, Charleville’s Cathal O’Carroll is the only remaining Cork representative.
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